I have been pitching since I was 10, and when I was in New Orleans, my coaches have always told me to lift my leg(while in the stretch). But since I have moved to Iowa, my coach has told me to stride instead of lifting my leg. Is the reducing my velocity?
2007-02-22 01:59:05 · 4 answers · asked by bigxdaddyxdan504 1 in Sports ➔ Baseball
do the leg thing while in the strech postion, it help you get more velocity and speed, if you do the stride thing, your speed of the ball would be lower contol of the ball will be greater if you strech before throwing the ball, so strech before throwing is me answer
2007-02-22 02:19:31 · answer #1 · answered by punk_rebel88 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, you will likely lose velocity when you pick up your leg. You slide step because you'll be more effective in holding runners on, which is why your coach probably wants you to do that. Of course, it doesn't matter how well you hold the runner if you don't get the next guy at the plate out.
It's tough to give advice though when I don't know how old you are. If you are 13 or 14, absolutely lift your leg. You're not strong enough physically not to, and chances are your catcher isn't going to be throwing out too many people anyway. If you're 17 or 18, there are ways you can keep the velocity while striding. The key to pitching velocity is your back leg (the one on the rubber). Push hard and take a long stride to get your momentum up and pick up velocity.
By the way, you should be able to tell whether you are losing velocity are not.
2007-02-22 10:35:08 · answer #2 · answered by Jeff S 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As a pitcher, i believe that mixing picking the leg up and the slide step helps. If you have a lead off batter on first i almost always slide step, but if a slow 4 hole hitter is at first i will always pick the leg up.
it also depends on the count and if i am struggling. If i cant throw a strike using the slide step i will pick up my front leg about 1/2 as much as i would if i picked it all the way up. this gives me time for my arm to catch up with the rest of my body and throw the strike.
i have also heard that if you are throwing a curveball then you need to do some sort of leg pick up. i dont completely agree but i do use it sometimes.
And yes, using the slide step will lose alittle velocity but it shouldnt lose too much
hope i helped
2007-02-22 11:51:19 · answer #3 · answered by Natural Athlete 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The slide step might take some velocity away but if you use you hips it shouldn't be too bad, and if you release the ball far out front it adds about 5 m.p.h. and it keeps hitters from knockin' the ball out of the park.
2007-02-23 15:26:28 · answer #4 · answered by Santana lover07 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋